Serendipity Sunday:Praise.....

Serendipity: An instance of making a delightful and unexpected discovery

~American Heritage Dictionary~(praise poster source)

"...let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."
~Hebrews 13:15~

This week my delightful and unexpected discovery is the following poem. It is written by Elizabeth Rowe (1674-1737). She was a poet and novelist, the eldest daughter of a minister. Born in Ilchester, Somersetshire, England, she began writing at the age of twelve. By age nineteen she became a principal contributor of poetry to "The Athenina Mercury" many of these poems were reprinted in "Poems on Several Occasions". She married poet, Thomas Rowe, in 1710. Their marriage was reportedly happy but sadly, short lived. Thomas died of tuberculosis, they had only been married for five years, and Elizabeth was inconsolable.

Her father died four years after her husband, leaving her a considerable inheritance, half the annual income of which she gave to charity. Her literary production was high during these years and most of the texts she published were devotional or moral. Despite the reputation of being a bereaved recluse, Elizabeth maintained a wide and active correspondence and was closely involved in local concerns until she died of apoplexy at the age of sixty-two. Her works continued to be popular well into the nineteenth century, went through multiple editions, circulated on both sides of the Atlantic, and were frequently translated.

Not all was happy in Elizabeth's life, yet through her life's work of writing words shines her ability to praise God for His goodness and to see Him in the world around her.

"PRAISE"

by Elizabeth Rowe
1674-1737


The glorious armies of the sky
To thee, Almighty King,
Triumphant anthems consecrate,
And hallelujahs sing.
(skyscape above Quill Cottage)

But still their most exalted flights
Fall vastly short of thee:
How distant them must human praise
From thy perfections be!(monarch butterfly visiting Quill Cottage)

Yet how, my God, shall I refrain
When to my ravished sense
Each creature everywhere around
Displays thy excellence!(gray squirrel at Lobo Landing, Heber Springs, AR)

The active lights that shine above,
In their eternal dance,
Reveal their skillful Maker's praise
With silent elegance.
(moonshine over Quill Cottage)

The blushes of the morn confess
That thou art still more fair,
When in the east its beams revive,
To gild the fields of air.(sunrise over St. Simons Island, GA)

The fragrant, the refreshing breeze
Of ev'ry flowery bloom
In balmy whispers own, from thee
Their pleasing odours come.(flower in Gavin Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs, AR)

The singing birds, the warbling winds,
And waters murmuring fall
To praise the first Almighty Cause
With different voices call.
(mini water grotto at Gavin Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs, AR)

Thy numerous works exalt thee thus,
And shall I silent be?
No, rather let me cease to breathe,
Than cease from praising thee!


"The more you praise God for His goodness, the more you will see it manifested in your life."
~Stormie Omartian~

Blessings,
Miss Sandy